Days Without Sun
Chapter Thirty Two: Howl
Santo Justino lunged forward the instant Korovin charged Akihiko.
He wanted desperately to take a shot, but Usami was in the way, so he didn't have a clear hit. Even if he did, Santo Justino had already determined he needed to do everything in his power to take Korovin alive and the killer was obviously already severely wounded.
The detective's heart stopped when Usami toppled over.
He saw the hypodermic in Usami's thigh that seemed to have come out of nowhere and Korovin's cruel grin as the man grasped and deployed what was obviously some type of remote detonator. Santo Justino automatically dropped lower, shoulders hunched; expecting some sort of explosion. But there was no blast, no notable change in the environment he could discern.
Perhaps the device stalled or mis-fired somehow.
Regardless, Santo Justino was not taking any chances; he stepped closer, target locked now. He dared not look at Usami.
"Drop it, Korovin!"
He saw the animal's eyes shift his direction. Despite the man's obvious pain there was still a malignant glint in Korovin's gaze. Korovin glanced at the remote in his hand and snorted lightly. He tossed the device aside with no further thought: it had served its purpose.
"And who might you be?" Korovin's voice was low and raspy but it still retained its arrogant tone. "I'm shocked Usami didn't bother to tell me he had reinforcements during our negotiations... But then, from the look on his face, it's obvious that he didn't know any more than I."
Despite his attempt at bravado, it was obvious Korovin was waning. His last action had used most of his reserves, but even so, he was not one to easily fold.
"Hands up where I can see them!" Santo Justino ignored the question as he stepped cautiously forward. His thick-soled boots offered him much better traction on the blood-soaked cement than it had Usami's bare skin.
"So rude… Since you seem to know who I am…"
Korovin raised his hands; they trembled from shock and blood loss. He wasn't too worried about this new stranger killing him, however: if he'd wanted him dead, he would have already shot.
Korovin watched with heavy lidded eyes as the interloper moved over and pulled Usami off to the side before bending down.
Keeping his gun trained on Korovin with his right hand, Santo Justino reached down with his left. While his eyes never left Korovin, his fingers pressed against the side of Usami's neck. Immediately he was able to feel a pulse: Usami's heart was beating hard, but the rhythm was strong and regular.
"Who I am is of no concern." Feeling re-assured that Usami was not dead, yet, Santo Justino stood again. "Just know I am the one who is ending your madness."
"Over, onto your stomach!"
Over his flickering eyes, one of Korovin's neat brows rose. "Seriously? I am near death here."
"Then lay there as you are and bleed out. Otherwise, on your fucking stomach!"
Korovin assessed the man holding the gun on him. He was mildly curious that the gunman knew his real name. He could tell the newcomer was serious, though it would obviously not be his first choice to lose his prize.
Korovin thought of the hospitals and jail cells in his future, if his radar for law enforcement personnel had not been compromised by blood loss.
Not so bad a fate; at least until I get myself back together. Things could be worse.
Men had tried to detain him in the past, but with his intelligence and cunning ruthlessness, Korovin had never found anyone or any place able to really keep him under wraps for long.
His thoughts flashed to his latest project, all his infected boys. If this new guard dog for justice was successful, his toys would no doubt be rescued. His mind was suddenly filled with all the havoc such an action would wreak on an unsuspecting world.
So many new games suddenly set afoot.
The main thing now was to survive this somehow, so that he could watch them play out.
With this thought, Korovin sighed in a way that was likely to be perceived as weary by his new captor, though in truth it held far more satisfaction in it. Grunting in pain as his movement jarred every one of his wounds, Korovin made to comply.
Halfway through his roll, he felt a hard hand between his shoulder blades pushing him down. Korovin growled as this same rough paw grabbed the collar of his lab coat and pulled it harshly from his shoulders. He bellowed in rage and pain when his dangling fingers caught in the sleeve and were pulled, as the jacket was stripped off of him.
Santo Justino had holstered his gun and was now patting Korovin down; careful of any other nasty surprises the man might have on his person. He pulled Korovin's hands behind his back and once he felt confident his captive was not going to fight him, he tore a sleeve from Korovin's lab coat and then quickly bound the killer's damaged hand to slow the bleeding.
Korovin shrieked in pain and fury at this crude attendance. In response to this he felt his head pushed down, his mouth mashed against a floor sticky with his own blood. A hard knee ground into the small of his back.
Wasting no more time, Santo Justino reached into his own coat pocket. He pulled out one of the plastic slip-ties he favored over the old-school, metal cuffs and quickly bound Korovin's hands.
Once assured Korovin was secured, he tore two more strips from the lab coat and used these as tourniquets on the leg wounds before throwing the remnants of the garment off to the side.
Satisfied that Korovin was clean and not going anywhere, Santo Justino stood. In an act of caution, he moved over and picked up Usami's lost gun. Then he hauled Korovin up and placed the man with his back against the farthest wall.
It was now the detective allowed himself to turn back to Usami. He saw to his great relief that though still unconscious, the author continued to breathe.
The syringe was quickly pulled from Usami's thigh. Santo Justino pressed the needle against the floor until it snapped. He then pocketed the syringe, hoping that there would enough trace fluid in the cylinder for a lab to run tests on.
He did a quick pat down of Usami now as well, and found no more weapons, no broken bones either. The only real wound the man sported was a gash to his chest and while this was still weeping, Usami was in no danger of bleeding to death.
After making sure that Usami was positioned in a way that least obstructed his airway, Santo Justino reluctantly left him, knowing there was little more he could do for the author at this point.
The detective's eyes then traveled over to the other body in the hallway.
Large, haunted eyes met his and Santo Justino felt himself pierced to the very core of his soul.
Jadir had lain silent this whole time, watching the events unfold before him. The boy had been hovering on the edge of consciousness, slipping back and forth between states of terrible clarity and dark blankness. He had been awake, however, to see Korovin press the trigger of the remote; he had witnessed the expression in Usami's eyes too.
In the wake of this, Jadir's sorrow had all but immobilized him, until something in him recognized that this newcomer was now stepping towards him.
He saw the unguarded horror and pity in the approaching man's expression and knew that this was the look he'd receive from anyone who encountered him now as he was. A new pain suddenly flared amidst all of the others vying for voice in his body and Jadir closed his eyes against it.
While he couldn't bring himself to move, Jadir longed to press himself closer to the wall, to simply, suddenly disappear.
A moment later he felt a tender hand on his head.
Having drawn closer, Santo Justino was appalled by the extent of the damage done to the poor creature before him. He had seen many terrible things in his life, but never had he seen another human being so reduced.
He was completely at a loss for how to react to the situation he found himself in. This boy too needed immediate medical attention.
Santo Justino felt the urge to bludgeon Korovin to death rise up in him. Instead of doing this however, he softly stroked the sweaty, matted head beneath his tentative hand.
"Hold on there, son. I'm not going to hurt you. No one is going to hurt you now."
Santo Justino had no way of knowing the damage his unguarded gaze had already wrought on the youth under his hand.
Jadir could not speak. He shuddered at the pain and the kindness in the new voice that filled his ears.
"My name is Augusto, Augusto Santo-Justino."
Santo Justino's tongue had never felt so cumbersome. Looking down, he suddenly noticed the quaking youth's missing arm, his absent digits. Santo Justino's mind flashed to the "almost" empty body bag in Korovin's freezer.
"Jadir…" The name was uttered as a whispered prayer. Beneath his hand the teen's trembling ceased.
Jadir kept his eyes closed. He could feel his tears slip out from between his clenched lids at the sound of his name. He nodded.
Santo Justino felt his heart overwhelmed with another rush of emotion. Before he could utter another word however, he was jolted by a sharp shriek. Turning, the detective saw with amazed eyes that somehow Aikawa had stumbled into this chaotic scene.
Aikawa had not meant to cry out, but the sight of the all the blood and Usami-sensei lying, unmoving on his side, had been more than her already overtaxed senses could bear.
"Eri!" Santo Justino stood up from where he had been kneeling.
He was sorry for his new lover to have been subjected to the sight of such violence, but at the same time he felt immensely relieved, having no idea of how he was going to tend to all three of the wounded now under his charge.
Aikawa's eyes shone wild with relief at the sight of Santo Justino unharmed, but only for an instant. She immediately darted to her fallen author, giving Korovin wide berth in the process.
"Usami-sensei!"
Any discomfort Aikawa might have felt at seeing the Lord Usami bared as he was went unheeded. She fell to her knees beside him, eyes filling with tears.
"Eri."
Aikawa's long fingers swept over Akihiko's cheek. She was oblivious to Santo Justino calling her name until he gently took hold of her shoulder. Her dark eyes locked with his.
"Is he...?"
"Dead? No… At least not yet. Just unconscious, I think. The wound on his chest seems to be the worst of it. He'll need stitches, I imagine, but it's not too serious."
Santo Justino purposefully held back from mentioning the injection. There was little they could do about it in their present situation and he needed Aikawa to be as present as possible.
"Misaki?"
Santo Justino shook his head sadly at the question contained in the utterance of the missing boy's name. The body bag designated for Takahashi Misaki had been empty and he'd not seen the face among Korovin's hostages he'd come to know so well from the countless hours spent studying Usami's photographs.
"Eri…"
Aikawa was looking down at Akihiko again; she was silently shaking. Santo Justino reached down, took a hold of her shoulders, and lifted her up. He turned the sobbing woman towards him.
Burying her head in Santo Justino's shoulder, Aikawa came undone momentarily. Santo Justino gathered her in. While his embrace was tender, over Aikawa's shoulder his sharp eyes were fixed on Korovin.
Korovin offered Santo Justino a wicked grin before closing his eyes.
The Doc was tickled by the dramatics playing out before him. If he'd had more energy he would have offered a few choice comments about the "touching" scene; but at present he was more concerned with staying alive and so, was concentrating on slowing down all his internal processes in an attempt to preserve himself.
After allowing Aikawa a minute for her tears and inarticulate sobs about "guards" and "dogs" and "crosses," Santo Justino drew back. He tightened his grip on Aikawa with one arm while his free hand caught her chin and lifted it.
"Eri…"
Aikawa looked up and a broad thumb wiped across her cheek, brushing away her tears. She closed her eyes and felt gentle lips brush across her own trembling mouth. She drew strength from the touch and her gaze was clearer when she opened her eyes again the next time her name was called.
Santo Justino saw Aikawa returning to him and he was grateful for her strength.
"Eri, I need you."
Through the last of her tears, Aikawa nodded. She drew a deep breath and stepped back, wiping her damp eyes on a torn sleeve.
"All three of these men need care." Santo Justino watched as Aikawa's gaze flickered over to Korovin and a frown creased her fine features. Rather than explain, the detective nodded over to Jadir.
"We need to get Jadir medical attention immediately. He has some kind of stomach wound. I want you to help me bind it."
Aikawa's eyes widened when she really looked at Jadir for the first time. She bit back a gasp at his severely battered state and was hard pressed not to breakdown again. Rather than succumb to her emotions this time, however, she nodded numbly.
"Get that shirt over there. We can wrap him with that and then cover him with that jacket. I'm sure he's in shock and as bad as he is…"
Aikawa didn't wait for Santo Justino to finish his sentence. She had always been one for getting things done and having a task was a blessed distraction. Tucking the Taser into the band of her skirt, she quickly moved over and gathered the garments.
She also picked up the knife Akihiko had dropped and used it to make fast work of the shirt, quickly rending it into strips.
Santo Justino carefully moved Jadir; the boy had slipped out of consciousness again. He held him upright as Aikawa wrapped the teen's weeping belly.
Throughout this process, the detective's eyes made constant sweeps of the other two men in the hallway. Usami's breathing was shallow but regular. Korovin seemed to have lost consciousness now and there was an uncomfortable length of time between the man's breaths.
Santo Justino's eyes were drawn back to Usami as the author uttered a low moan and his body suddenly shifted.
Aikawa heard the noise too. She quickly tied off the last of her wrapping and flew over to Akihiko's side, leaving Santo Justino to wrap Jadir in the jacket.
"Usami-sensei!"
Setting her hand on Akihiko's forehead, Aikawa pushed damp hair back from a clammy brow. She held her breath as pale eyes fluttered open.
Akihiko groaned again. His gaze was initially dull and glazed, but after a blinking a few times, he seemed to be coming back to himself.
He drew a bloody hand to his temples and gripped them, the pain in his head was astounding.
Starting, when he felt another hand gently placed atop his own, Akihiko raised his eyes. His brow creased when he was met with Aikawa's worried gaze.
Closing his eyes again, Akihiko growled. Every joint in his body ached furiously; his chest was tight, throat raw. He wondered if he'd passed out, overworking himself on yet another deadline.
Leave it to Aikawa-san to hunt me down.
Despite his body's furious protests, Akihiko rolled himself over onto his side. He grunted feeling the sticky floor beneath his hand.
Did I spill something? Damn, I need to get some more of those shatterproof glasses.
All thoughts of tableware left Akihiko's tumbled mind when he opened his eyes again and the dark floor beneath him came into focus.
"What the…?"
His eyes widened when Akihiko understood what it was he was looking at. He tried to jump up when he realized that both he and the floor were covered with blood, but his pained limbs wouldn't support him.
Did I cut myself when I fell?
"Usami-sensei, please be still."
Akihiko turned his head back towards Aikawa's strained soothing. This time he truly saw her when their eyes met. He had never seen the woman looking so disheveled. Akihiko was filled with confusion.
Hearing a noise to the side of him, he strained his neck and his dazed eyes fell on Santo Justino, standing, studying him with grave concern. Jadir was resting, cradled in the detective's arms.
At this sight, the floodgates of Akihiko's memory suddenly loosed and a howl welled in his throat as the loss of his beloved Misaki returned to him afresh. Tears welled in his eyes and he closed them against the flood. He threw back his head and roared.
Aikawa was stunned, never in her life had she known Akihiko Usami to show this level of emotion. She sought to restrain him with frantic hands as her eyes sought Santo Justino's.
"Usami-sensei!"
Akihiko curled in on himself, he felt as if his heart might implode.
"Are you hurt? Please, Sensei. You need to tell me what's wrong!"
Aikawa could never know how devastating the wound was that Akihiko had suffered.
"MISAKI!"
Misaki's name was almost unrecognizable in Akihiko's primal cry of pain. Once she recognized what it was that Usami was saying, Aikawa did her best to calm him.
"Sensei, we're so close. I know that we'll find him!"
Aikawa's words somehow reached the remaining fragment of Akihiko's rational mind. At the same time he opened his eyes and his gaze fell on Korovin. His cries, it seemed, had roused the killer from his self-induced stasis.
Korovin's cloudy eyes flickered and the side of his mouth quirked: even if he did die, going out, having seen this level of pain in Usami would make a pleasant exit.
Like a lid snapping shut, the moment their gazes connected, Akihiko fell silent. He laid still, his lean sides heaving.
Even if he's dead, I have to find my Misaki.
Aikawa found this new silence more disconcerting than her sensei's previous outburst.
"Usami-sensei… Akihiko…" she begged. She feared he had slipped into a catatonic state.
However, ignoring Aikawa's pleas, Akihiko slowly twisted his head. His pale eyes met Jadir's dark gaze and they exchanged a silent communion.
Jadir's eyes were filed with tears. He nodded before closing them. A shudder shivered his tortured frame and this grew into a much more obvious tremor.
Santo Justino felt this and shifted his grip on the boy in his arms. His sober face grew even graver when Jadir began to twitch much more violently.
"Eri, come help me!"
Santo Justino lowered Jadir once more, the boy seemed to be having a fit of some sort and he didn't want to risk dropping him. Reluctantly, Aikawa pulled herself away from Akihiko. Casting her eyes back and seeing Usami remaining still and silent she hurried over and knelt next to Jadir.
"Rest his head on your legs. Keep an eye on his airway; don't try and restrain him though if he begins to thrash."
Aikawa did as Augusto directed. Jadir's dark head tipped back and his chest rose as a convulsion wracked his thin body. Santo Justino knelt at Jadir's feet; he held the teen's ankles lightly and spoke soothingly in Portuguese.
Akihiko's pale eyes watched intently: both Aikawa and Santo Justino were completely occupied now by Jadir's throes.
He rolled on to his hands and knees and wavered there unnoticed. Every muscle in his body screamed in revolt, but Akihiko was beyond listening.
Taking another moment to gather himself, he chanced a look behind him. He saw that Korovin's bleary gaze too was caught by Jadir's fit.
You took my Misaki from me… you stole my world.
Bowing his head, Akihiko called on every force he could think of for his next action, every ancestor, every God.
Gritting his teeth against his own tremoring flesh, Akihiko slid silently forward. His hand found his knife on the floor in front of him, caught in the remaining tatters of his shirt. Gripping the hilt of the blade like a lifeline, Akihiko turned and lunged at Korovin.
Korovin's eyes caught the movement, but before he could utter a sound, Usami was on him.
Akihiko gripped Korovin's bloody collar. He straddled the killer's damaged legs and leaned forward. His mouth all but brushed the edge of Korovin's ear.
"Heart or cock, Korovin? Where will you feel the pain the most clearly?" Akihiko's throat was so raw from his earlier howl he could barely whisper the question that had been asked of himself just such a short time before.
Korovin's eyes widened at the query, his mouth dropped open in shock at Usami's next words.
"There's no choice here for you either, really…" Akihiko rasped into Korovin's ear. "You'd have to have a heart, after all, to make it a fair game."
Akihiko slid back on Korovin's legs.
A new and horrible howl of anguish echoed throughout the winding halls, as in one fluid motion, Akihiko raised the knife and drove it downward into Korovin's groin until he felt the blade's strike hit and bounce up off the cement. He pulled its razored edge forward, towards him, and watched new blood blossom from Korovin's ruin.
My dear readers, thank you so much for all the reviews, favorites and follows. I was stunned to receive twenty two reviews following my last posting. Your comments and feedback have really kept me moving forward on this fic. I am working on the next and final chapter now. (It looks to be a long one.) Then will be the sweet Epilogue you have all been waiting for!
I will once again post AN comments post-chapter. A special shout out now to Jackattack456, however, for being the 500th reviewer on this story. Hey, Jack, let me know what you'd like to see updated after this fic is finished and I will do so for you as a present.
Hope to be posting the last chapter in a few days... making good use of my vacation time. Heh (So what if my family thinks me antisocial). Keep your eyes out for it.
Look forward to hearing from you!